Nine injured from Turkish embassy violence taken to GW Hospital

Nine people injured in a protest outside of the Turkish ambassador’s residence Tuesday were transported to GW Hospital, according to multiple media reports.

About 24 protesters gathered outside of the embassy to protest Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visit to D.C. hours after Erdogan met with President Donald Trump at the White House, CNN reported.

A State Department official said Turkish security officials were reportedly involved in the incident, including Turkish embassy security and Erdogan security staff, according to CNN. The State Department condemned the attack in a statement Wednesday.

One protester said the group was rallying against Erdogan’s policies in Turkey, Syria and Iraq when supporters of Erdogan broke police lines and charged the demonstrators on three occasions.

Video footage from CNN and BBC shows demonstrators breaking police lines, pushing people to the ground and repeatedly kicking them. The videos show police trying to intervene to stop the fighting.